How Life Ended for an Elevator Operator
by sphaena
Summary: The bringer of bad news never did earn many compliments. How true this statement is, especially in the world where Voldemort is once again on Harry Potter's tail. Learn how this day for an elevator operator turned from bad to worse.


An operator stood outside the doors of an elevator, dreading the day ahead. He sighed. It was always a dull job, standing guard outside a broken elevator, making sure no one else got stuck inside. Being the bringer of bad news never did earn many compliments.

The pounding of running feet startled him awake. He had almost fallen asleep, and awoke staring at a teenager with bright green eyes and a strange scar across his forehead.

"Awfully sorry, boy, there seems to be a glitch in the mechanisms of the elevator." The operator said groggily. What was a child doing here anyways? "Why don't you take the stairs?" Hmm…might be on work experience, he seemed the type. But what was with the panting and twig in his hand? Oh well, none of his business, he supposed.

"Oh. Well, that's fine, have a nice day!" the boy said. What a polite young man.

But before he could ponder further, a young girl rushed towards him. Or rather, the elevator he was standing in front of. "Sorry about that, the elevator isn't working. There's a staircase to the right." Might be from the same school, he speculated, both on work experience. But again, there was that frantic look in the eyes.

"Well, I could have a look at the mechanisms if I had the time, but as I _don't _have said time, it would have been nice to have some warning. According to the second law of physics, the pulley system that makes up the elevator cannot completely break down by wear alone, so there must have been a few cables that broke bit by bit over the previous years, and what sort of operator are you if you never check the elevator?"

The operator stared, and said, "Um………..I'll go get it sorted, then, shall I?" All the while, he was just hoping she would take the stairs and leave him alone in his vertical slumber. Weren't people supposed to respect their elders? Since when did that rule not apply to elevator operators? Since, well, forever, he reminded himself in his head.

Finally, the girl turned the corner. Breathing a sigh of relief, he closed his eyes once more. After a long period of time, the tapping of a cane woke him up. He opened his eyes groggily to see a very very blond man looking he stepped right out of a Dickens novel.

""The elevator isn't working right now, I'm afraid, so if you'll just take the stairs to the right…" The man didn't say anything in reply and didn't move. The operator thought he saw a look of disgust on the man's face, but couldn't for the life of him imagine what he might have done to offend him. "Um…sir?"

Still no response. Well, he might be hard of hearing, reasoned the operator, and raised his voice,"THE ELEVATOR IS NOT WORKING. SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE. STAIRS ARE TO THE RIGHT."

The man still said nothing, but turned on his heels towards the staircase. The operator only just managed not to say, "Didn't your mother teach you any manners?" How very rude of the man! He was around the same age as him, yet the way he treated him… Honestly! It was like he deliberately cut the cables, from the way these people acted.

Still deep in thought, a woman with wild black tresses came striding towards him. "Excuse me, madam, we're sorry for the inconvenience, but the elevator has broken down. I'm afraid you'll have to…" But his voice dwindled into silence as the women towered over him, brandishing a stick.

"HOW DARE YOU TELL ME WHAT TO DO? I ANSWER TO THE DARK LORD ALONE!" What was with all the crazy people today? How had the hospitals overlooked this madwoman? With these thoughts running through his head, the operator started hyperventilating. With a cry of "_CRUCIO_!", the woman swished the stick at him, and pain as he had never experienced before struck him. His insides were ripping themselves apart; no conscious though passed through the pain, and a piercing scream that he realised to be his own reached his ears.

As soon as it had started, the pain stopped. The operator was left breathing heavily on the floor, no trace of the woman to be seen. He would quit his job as soon as humanly possible, was his most prominent thought, while the rest were wildly speculating upon his recent ordeal. Slowly he picked himself up, and began trekking towards the exit. He could not remain there any longer, that was certain.

He had not walked two steps before a shadow fell on his path. One more can't hurt, he supposed, "I'm terribly sorry– " He had raised his head, and saw the blood red pupils of the terrifying owner of the shadow. "Er…what I meant is that the elevator has broken down, sir." The operator had begun to get the feeling he would been better off if this conversation hadn't started, when the man glared at him and said menacingly, "Fix it!"

"Yes Mr, we will, but at the moment, if you would just take the stair to the right—" he sensed he was getting himself into more and more trouble.

"Have you any idea how much of my time you have wasted? I do not have the time nor the energy to listen to you. Potter is getting away at this very moment, and if he is not dead by the end of the day, you will be responsible."

Oh dear. Now he really was in trouble. A self proclaimed murderer could not be good news. Why did he always meet the maniacs? The blond man was bad for his dignity, the women his sanity, and now it seemed he might not live to see the next sunrise. "Um…"

"_Avada Kedavra!" _

And the operator literally felt the very life being sucked out of him, before all turned dark. His last thought was,_ "I can't believe my last word was 'um'"_


End file.
